Doyin Jibowu attempts to break up a pass in Thursday’s scrimmage.
After a slow start, the offense was able to put together two scoring drives, both ending with touchdown passes from Treveon Albert to redshirt freshman running back Malik Thomas, highlighting the Fort Hays State football team’s second scrimmage Thursday afternoon at Lewis Field. The offense scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal in their two red zone drills and scored in all four of their goal line possessions.
FHSU head coach Chris Brown on Thursday’s scrimmage
The defense shined early, forcing a couple of turnovers and had several key pass break ups in the endzone.
QB Treveon Albert scores a touchdown in Thursday’s scrimmage.
Treveon Albert threw two touchdown passes and had a third of 93 yards to Evan Jennings called back because of a penalty.
Thomas continued his impressive camp with several nice runs. Fellow running back Shaquille Cooper had a couple of long runs including one of 20 yards.
The Tigers have one more scrimmage scheduled for next Wednesday before opening the season at Central Oklahoma on Sept. 3.
BOSTON (AP) – Ryan Hanigan drove in two runs and scored another on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s triple to help the Boston Red Sox beat Kansas City 4-1 Thursday night, ending the Royals’ five-game winning streak.
Wade Miley (10-9) left in the eighth inning, allowing just one run. The Red Sox are 5-2 under bench coach Torey Lovullo, who took over last week when manager John Farrell announced that is being treated for cancer. Mookie Betts, Travis Shaw and Xander Bogaerts had two hits apiece for Boston.
Miley allowed one run on six hits while striking out six in 7 1-3 innings. Junichi Tazawa pitched the ninth for his second save.
Salvador Perez had two of the Royals’ six hits. The AL Central leaders had won 10 of its last 12 to open a 14 1-2 game lead in the AL Central.
Danny Duffy (6-6) gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three in five innings.
The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team enters the 2015 season picked fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Thursday (Aug. 20).
The Tigers finished the 2014 season with an impressive 13-5-2 overall record and an even better 8-2-2 record in the MIAA. The eight wins in conference play was the most by the program in their four-year history and earned the Tigers a No. 3 seed in the MIAA tournament.
“Something we always try to do here is try to get better,” which is what head coach Craig Shaw stated when asked about last year’s success. Shaw has a record of 40-31-7 entering his fifth year as the Tigers head coach.
Improvement on last year’s success looks to be in reach for the 2015 squad as 19 players return from 2014. The Tigers averaged 1.65 goals per match last season and should be confident as three of their top four goal scorers are among the returners. FHSU also had one of the top defenses in the MIAA (2nd) and nation (25th), producing 11 shutouts and just 0.62 goals per match.
In their brief history, FHSU has produced 20 All-MIAA players, including eight in 2014, and four All-Central Region recipients (three in last year).
The Tigers hit the pitch on September 4th to open the regular season at FHSU Soccer Stadium in Hays, Kan., against Southwest Minnesota State and then host Minot State two days later.
2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (11) 121
2. Southwest Baptist (1) 104
3. Central Oklahoma 103 4. Fort Hays State 95
5. Lindenwood 71
6. Missouri western 70
7. Northeastern State 63
8. Emporia State 56
9. Northwest Missouri 36
10. Nebraska-Kearney 30
11. Missouri Southern 28
12. Washburn 15
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Former Consensus All-American, 2015 Ring of Honor inductee and current Green Bay Packer All-Pro wide receiver Jordy Nelson and his wife Emily have generously pledged a philanthropic contribution to K-State Athletics to assist in the department’s efforts to complete Phase III-B of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan, the northeast corner of the Vanier Family Football Complex, Athletics Director John Currie announced today.
In addition, Currie announced that the football team’s locker room in the Vanier Family Football Complex will be named the Nelson Family Locker Room in recognition of the couple’s contribution.
“We appreciate Jordy and Emily’s loyalty and generosity to K-State Athletics and our goal of providing a World-Class Student-Athlete Experience,” Currie said. “Jordy and Emily are model K-Staters and for them to graciously give to enhance the experience of Wildcat student-athletes and fans is a true testament to their passion and love for K-State.”
“Kansas State University and K-State Football have meant so much to our family and continue to be a big part of our lives,” said Jordy and Emily. “The Manhattan and Riley County communities are home for us, and giving back to the program and university that have afforded us the opportunities that we now have was very important to us, so that student-athletes, fans and the entire K-State Family can continue to have the success they deserve.”
The announcement of this generous gift from the Nelson family, in addition to the previously announced pledge from the Carl and Mary Ice family, provides tremendous momentum to complete Phase III-B of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan project. The gifts from the Nelson and Ice families, along with other pledges, bring the department’s fundraising total to more than $8 million toward the $15 million needed for the project.
The proposed new northeast corner will connect the east-side concourse to the new north end zone section debuting September 5th, thus achieving the BSFS master plan goal of a 360-degree concourse and fully enclosing the stadium. Other new elements of the structure will include visiting team locker space, training and officials areas, plus additional future office space as well as a new videoboard that will match the huge screen erected on the northwest corner this past spring, furthering the department’s commitment to offering the Best Fan Experience in the Big 12.
“We are all so very proud of Jordy and Emily and greatly appreciate their involvement in the new Vanier Family Football Complex,” said head coach Bill Snyder. “Jordy has never strayed from his value system and thus remains the same caring, committed, loyal, passionate Kansas State person who believes in his program and is giving back. They are a wonderful family.”
A former walk-on who started his Wildcat days as a defensive back, Nelson made his mark on the Wildcat program during his final season as he was named a 2007 Consensus All-American and finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. In 2007, Nelson set school records for receptions in a game (15) and season (122), receiving yards in a game (214) and season (1,606) and yards per game in a season (133.8). He finished the year with 122 catches for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns and went on to be taken 36th overall by Green Bay in the 2008 NFL Draft. He finished his career with 206 catches for 2,822 yards and 20 scores.
Originally published in 2010, the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan has now seen completion of three phases representing $165 million in investment into K-State’s football complex and amenities, as part of approximately $195 million in recent capital investments benefitting all 16 Wildcat athletics teams. These improvements have been completed in a fiscally responsible manner without utilizing any university, tuition or state tax dollars thanks to the generosity of K-State donors and fans world-wide. K-State is the only public institution in Kansas and one of less than approximately 25 nationally operating its intercollegiate athletics department with no direct or indirect university funding or state support.
CINCINNATI (AP) – Lorenzo Cain had a tie-breaking RBI single in the second inning, Ben Zobrist had four hits and Kansas City benefited from a Cincinnati baserunning gaffe as the Royals beat the Reds 4-3 Wednesday night to complete a two-game sweep.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the fifth with the 4-3 lead and the bases loaded and one out. Luke Hochevar (1-0) got Jay Bruce to pop up along the first base line. Bruce was out under the infield fly rule, but Jason Bourgeois tried to score when the ball dropped, and Hochevar threw to catcher Drew Butera, who easily tagged Bourgeois out.
Zobrist had his eighth career four-hit game as the Royals completed a sweep of the four-game season series with Cincinnati. The Royals have won five straight and the Reds have lost five straight.
Keyvius Sampson (2-2) gave up the four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Redshirt junior Crystal Whitten and true freshman Azlyn Cassaday both had 11 kills to lead the Fort Hays State volleyball team in their annual Black and Gold Scrimmage Wednesday night at Gross Coliseum. Mallory Flagor, the team’s lone senior added 10 kills in the three set match won by the FHSU Black team (25-15, 31-29, 18-25).
Abby Groth and Hannah Wagy both had 19 assists. Wagy led the way with 16 digs.
Neither team hit particularly well with the Gold finishing with a .090 average and the Black .148. Seventh year head coach Kurt Kohler chalks that up to their youth as well as familiarity. “I think it is our defense knowing what our hitters are going to do” Kohler said. “Our passing wasn’t real good today so our offense wasn’t able to come along”.
7th year coach Kurt Kohler discusses Wednesday’s Black and Gold Scrimmage
Kohler has just one senior and seven true freshman on his roster and knows there will be some growing pains.
“Most of these kids are now playing like freshman, which is nice” Kohler said. “A lot of these girls look like they’ve played at a high level already so that’s going to be fun to get them on the court and really challenge our upper classman”.
The Tigers, who are picked eighth in the MIAA coaches’ preseason poll, are looking to improve on last season which saw them finish three spots higher than in 2013.
FHSU will host Bethel College at Gross Memorial Coliseum in an exhibition doubleheader starting at 4 pm on Wednesday, August 26. They then open the 2015 regular season in Marquette, Mich., at the Northern Michigan Tournament, Sept. 4-5.
Eagle Radio of Hays sports broadcasters earned high honors in this year’s Kansas Association of Broadcaster Awards.
Gerard Wellbrock and Dustin Armbruster shared top honors in the sports play-by-play category for their work as part of the historic Fort Hays State University women’s basketball season in 2014-15.
Wellbrock, the Voice of the Tigers, also earned second place for best complete sportscast.
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
Michael Waltrip Racing will not run its cars on a full-time basis after this season.
The team has also granted Clint Bowyer his release so that Bowyer can look for a job for the 2016 season.
The decision announced Wednesday comes after co-owner Rob Kauffman purchased an ownership stake in Chip Ganassi Racing. Kauffman bought 50 percent of MWR during its debut 2007 season to keep the team afloat.
Founded by two-time Daytona 500 winner Waltrip, MWR entered Sprint Cup competition as Toyota’s flagship team. The team has not recovered since it was severely sanctioned by NASCAR in 2013 for manipulating the outcome of the final race of the regular season.
The scandal led to the loss of a sponsorship and MWR released 15 percent of its workforce.
As the Fort Hays State football team moves well into their second full week of practice prior to their season opener September 3rd at Central Oklahoma, competition remains high at several key positions for starting spots.
One position that appears to be settled is quarterback where fifth-year senior Treveon Albert returns. Albert has been a part of coach Chris Brown’s turnaround since day one and is excited for his final season.
“We’ve taken a lot of steps to get to where we are right now” Albert said. “It feels good being in his (coach Brown) first class and this is also my last year, trying to go out with a bang with coach Brown”.
Senior QB Treveon Albert discusses the upcoming 2015 season
Albert completed 54-percent of his passes for 1,569 yards with with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 434 yards with five touchdowns last season, helping the Tigers to a 7-4 record. Albert is now trying to help the Tigers find the postseason for the first time since 1995.
“You go as far as your leaders go” Albert said. “I think our senior leaders are the best since I’ve been at this school”.
Fort Hays State opens the 2015 season at Central Oklahoma September 3rd.
CINCINNATI (AP) – Ben Zobrist tied the game with a homer in the ninth inning, Jarrod Dyson scored the tie-breaking run from first base on pitcher Ryan Mattheus’ throwing error and the Kansas City Royals went on to a 3-1, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
Dyson led off the 13th with a single and scored when Mattheus (1-4) threw a sacrifice bunt by Kris Medlen (1-0) down the right field line.
Greg Holland finished for his 27th save.
Zobrist stunned the crowd of 28,719 by leading off the ninth against Aroldis Chapman with his 10th homer of the season. Chapman had converted 56 consecutive save opportunities at home since blowing one against Houston on Sept. 7, 2012.
Nebraska-Kearney is ranked fifth to begin the season on Sept. 4 with four games in Alaska. Central Missouri enters the year ranked 13th in the nation and will begin the year at home on Sept. 3 with five straight. Washburn is one spot behind them ranked 14th to begin the year and start with four straight at home in the season’s opening weekend.
Central Oklahoma also received votes in the poll as most MIAA teams prepare to open their season Sept. 4-6.
The Seattle Seahawks have signed former Kansas State University quarterback Jake Waters.
Waters was a two-year starter for the Wildcats, including a record-setting senior season.
The Seahawks also released long snapper and U.S. Army veteran Nate Boyer on Tuesday.
Boyer was signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in May. He played five snaps against the Broncos on Friday night.
He was competing with incumbent Clint Gresham for the starting long snapper job. He was a long shot to make Seattle’s roster as Gresham signed a new three-year contract with the team this offseason.
Boyer did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and was a member of the Green Berets.
Boyer walked on to the football program at Texas and eventually won the starting job. He was the long snapper for the Longhorns his final three seasons.
